An electronic apparatus functioning per the present method is usable with an infant or young child to reduce (without harm to the infant or child) vocal behavior by the subject child which is equal to or above a predetermined audible level. Such pacification reduces the probability of an abusive attack against the subject child by a potentially abusive parent or care provider.
Child abuse by parents or care providers is a major problem of virtually epidemic proportion which is currently receiving pervasive coverage throughout the mass media. Additionally, many studies have sought to define the problem from a statistical viewpoint. For example, the American Humane Association indicates that (with only thirty-six states reporting) there were 223,034 reports of physical child abuse in the United States alone during 1982. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has estimated that as many as 5,000 children died as a result of such abuse during this time period. Longterm emotional trauma as well as permanent physical disability are worst-case possibilities for an abused child, where death does not occur. Moreover, abused children are likely to grow up to abuse their children or others, thereby perpetuating the problem. Further, there is general agreement among researchers and other experts in the field that reported figures for physical child abuse in a given time period are, in reality, a gross underrepresentation of the actual number of such abusive incidences.
Despite overwhelming evidence and pervasive social recognition of the child abuse problem, effective solutions have not been forthcoming.
It is recognized, however, that the act of "crying" is the single behavior, emitted by children or infants, which is most likely to be present in abusive attacks on children by their parents or care providers. Actual laboratory experiments have demonstrated that infant "crying" can function as a stimulus which gives rise to abusive parental behavior directed toward children.